Sword Art Online: The Phantom Knight
by GrayPen
Summary: Takes place in the same timeline and events as Sword Art Online. The main character is unusually dark and rich, but has skills obtained from his extensive training around the world. You will eventually see his prowess inside the game. I am focusing on the side characters of the Sword Art Online series. Starting off with Klein. Rated M because I am not sure yet haha.
1. Chapter 1: Release

Hey guys, this will be my very first fanfiction post about Sword Art Online. It starts off with an unusually dark character by the name of Kishi. He is very rich and has skills that normal people can't do. Hope you like it

Release:

"Master Kishi" a voice called out.  
"Master Kishi!". This time it was louder and coming from my right.  
"Master Kishi, I'm afraid you are holding up the line"  
I snapped out of my day dream and glanced behind me. Only to find  
disgruntled faces and harsh words thrown at me.  
"hey buddy, are you going to hold up the line any longer?".Said a  
man. By the looks of his hair and facial hair, I can tell that he is  
in his early 20s. Oddly enough, he is wearing office work clothes.  
Black slacks and short sleeved dress shirt does not match his...wild  
facial appearance.  
"Master, please, move up before they push you out of the line"  
suggested Benedict. I turned to my right to see an old man with black  
hair, wearing a tuxedo. As I saw his urgent expression, I started to  
move my legs and caught up to the person in front of me. Today was  
November 5 2022. The very first week that the game Sword Art Online  
was released to the general public. Normally, I wouldn't participate  
in game opening events because I have more than enough resources to  
get the game beforehand, but the company and its creator refuse to  
sell their game before official release. So here I am waiting in the  
local game store to pick up a copy of Sword Art Online and the Virtual  
Reality hardware "NerveGear". According to rumors, the game store in  
Chiyoda already sold out their copies, so I camped out here the last  
few days with my butler Benedict.  
I feel uneasy here. There are too many people, and the pushing and  
yelling would not cease. If the technology wasn't so ground breaking,  
I would have left and gone back to my mansion. As I finish up my  
thoughts about this uncomfortable experience with these common folks,  
I realized that I was almost at the cashier counter. The counter was  
occupied by a smiling young lady with beautiful black hair and hazel  
eyes. Every move she makes oozes with formality. Behind the counter  
were stacks of empty boxes with beautiful cover art of the Aincrad  
Castle in Sword Art Online. On the front of the illustration was a  
title in both Japanese and English saying SWORD ART ONLINE.  
"Konichiwa, Are you here to purchase our exclusive game SAOsword art  
online?" the young lady greeted.  
I looked back up, away from my feet, and smiled.  
"Yes, I would like to purchase the NerveGear and the copy of SAO that  
comes with it" I said in an overly excited tone. Although I was  
disgusted by the way I said it, I still took the advice that Benedict  
told me a while back "Be more talkative, and a smile here and there  
won't hurt"  
" You are in luck, this would be our last copy of the game!" She  
yelled, as if she wanted others to hear of the despairing news. The  
people behind groaned and cursed in disappointment. Some even gave me  
a stare that was somewhat familiar to the tragic incident that  
happened a while back; the evil eye. The envy can be felt now, just  
like I felt it back then. No, if I go too far  
back...

My blank expression can be seen by the cashier and Benedict, but no  
one wanted to disturb my thoughts. I finished paying and observed the  
girl who was the cashier, looking for a name tag. As she bagged up my  
purchase I said  
"thank you..eehh..tooo...Eva" and walked toward the exit with  
Benedict. The girl seemed to be flattered and leaned over to the  
cashier next to her, who happened to be a girl also. She whispered  
something and the both of them snickered cutely as I walked out the  
sliding doors. Immediately, I erased my smile and replaced it with my  
usual frown.  
We walked out the door and Benedict stretched his arms and said  
"two whole days in that line, are you ready to go home Master Kishi?"  
I observed the crowd of rowdy people one last time and pondered on  
countless of hours of standing in line. I smirked.  
"I am more than happy to Benedict"  
We walked to the parking lot that was located directly to the right of  
the store, and Benedict pulled out his keys and pressed the car unlock  
button. A *beep* noise cried out twice and we noticed our car's  
blinking light in the direction of the sound. It was a Cadillac DTS  
painted in sleek black. It may not look much but it has the same  
features that the President of the United States has for his car. It comes with  
bullet proof windows, bomb proof floors, 3 inches of shock proof  
doors, and etc. Being the successor to the largest company in Japan  
has its dangers. Of course, after THAT day, precautions were needed.  
I opened my door and as I was about to get in, I hear a faint holler.  
I turned around and saw a figure running toward me that had a familiar  
face.  
"Ooooi, dude with the butler!" yelled the person.  
As the figure got closer, I can see a crazy head of hair and body  
clothed with office apparel. The guy finally stopped about 2 yards  
before me and was leaning on his knees.  
*pant pant*. He looked like he was about to pass out. He finally got  
up and faced me  
" Hey man, I'm the guy from earlier, the one that rushed you in line"  
" Oh yes, that's right" I replied, seemingly uninterested in the conversation.  
" Yo, I have to apologize to you for snapping at you like that,  
standing in line for 2 days in work clothes took a toll on me"  
I turned my head around and got ready to go in the car.  
" It's fine"  
I got in the car and closed the door.  
"Oh hey, before you go..." He lifted up what looked like a bag  
"if you are still worried about that whole SAO game being sold out  
thing, the store seemed to have an extra stock in the back, so the 20  
people behind you got to buy the Nervegear and SAO"  
I glanced out my window without moving my head and said  
"Good"  
His facial expression went from friendly to a straight look.  
" Well anyway, if you want to meet up in the game, my name will be  
Klein. K-l-e-i-n" He suggested. I nodded my head and rolled up the  
window.  
"Straight to the mansion, Benedict". I ordered  
"Happily, master Kishi"  
My butler grabbed the wheel and reversed.  
The car gave a slight jerk and we were on our way home. Inside the  
car, I opened my bag to get a peek at the NerveGear and game cd. The  
bulkiness of the hardware has a futuristic appeal to it, like  
something out of a mech robot movie. I lifted up the NerveGear and  
slowly placed it on my head.  
Suddenly, I felt a sense of despair and claustrophobia. My  
breathing became heavy and my heart began pounding fast. My vision  
became blurry as my head was banging. Benedict looked at the mirror  
to the top right and widened his eyes in fear. The car suddenly  
stopped, as I hear a screeching noise from the brakes. Benedict  
quickly opened his door and dragged me out to the sidewalk  
"Master! Calm your breathing" he whispered "There you go, in and out,  
in and out"  
Sweat rolled down my face as I looked at Benedict with wide eyes. His  
hand was on my cheeks and I felt a sense of shelter around me. I then  
calmed down and felt safe once again in Benedict's arms. This was one  
of my many anxiety attacks, usually provoked by bad memories. Though  
this time it was different. I did not reminisce in the incident this  
time, but all I did was wear the NerveGear. Could this be a sign? I  
shook off my thoughts and came to realize that I was back in my car,  
wrapped in a shock blanket.  
"Those 2 days took a toll on you, master. May I suggest to never doing  
that for a game again?" Benedict lectured. He gave a sigh of relief  
and continued driving. I was lucky this attack was a short one. The  
doctor told me there will be a time where, if I have too much stress,  
the attack will hit harder and last longer. I breathed in a modest  
pace and tried to calm myself. I looked out the window of the Dodge,  
and observed the city. Life here was rather simple. The houses,  
cars, and businesses here are all like your stereotypical suburb.  
People mind their own business and go along with their lives. Of  
course it would be unusual to see a large gothic mansion in an area  
like this.  
The gates of my house are about 10 feet high and are painted black.  
Behind the gate lies a large gothic styled mansion with many windows  
covered by curtains. It is surrounded by trees that shaded the front  
yard, which contained a working fountain and big green lawn. The  
driveway goes in from the gates and circles around the fountain, then  
leads to a round area in front of the mansion's patio.  
Benedict opened my door and I slowly walked out, still holding my  
shock blanket. He held me and lead me up into my room which is on the  
2nd floor. As we winded up my staircase, I can see pictures of my  
mother and father. My father was a kind man, who worked as both the  
CEO of Knights Inc. and a leading doctor in Tokyo. My mother was a  
top tier physicist, who studied engineering and quantum mechanics.  
Both were philanthropists and often donated to the local hospitals,  
homeless shelters, and orphan houses. We were a happy family,  
until….  
Before I knew it, I was in my large room. I looked around and found  
that it was cleaned by Benedict. The room contained a desk/shelf that  
contained all my books, games, and my high end computer. It also has  
a king sized bed that is facing a large HD tv hanging on the wall.  
Finally to the left of the bed, was a large window.  
I slowly lie on my bed and recap the events that happened today.  
For some odd reason, I can remember the face of the office worker that  
told me his avatar name.  
"Klein" I whispered. I repeated it, until I slowly drifted into a deep sleep.

A/N: Please leave any critiques, compliments, etc thank you :)


	2. Chapter 3: Death Game

A/N:Keep in mind that this is a fan fiction and some of the contents in here are made up in order to add excitement.

Death Game:

As the "opening ceremony" ended. About 10-20 people committed  
suicide. The atmosphere of the Town of Beginnings went from jubilant,  
to grim. During the ceremony, Kayaba Akihiko explained how if you die  
here, you die in real life. As soon as we heard it, I can see rogue  
leader in his real life appearance, staring me down with a grim  
expression. My heart pounded and my head throbbed. I fell to the  
ground as I was having an attack.  
"In the VR world also?" I whispered.  
The thought that I had KILLED 3 players in the first hour of the game  
made me sick. I wanted to commit suicide and repent for what I did.  
They could have had siblings, wives, friends, lives that they could  
have gone back to, but I took it all away. Just because they reminded  
me of my terrible past, I murdered them. My thoughts turned to  
Benedict and I broke into tears. My beloved butler would tell me that  
I "did not know", but there is no excuse for my crime. Ever since the  
murder of my parents and the mugger, I suppose I had developed a blood  
lust somewhere deep inside. Because as I slashed the rogue players'  
necks, I felt a sense of sadistic glee. Just like when I avenged my  
parents.  
In the outside world  
As the butler chopped onions for tonight's dinner, he frowned.  
Tears rolled down his cheeks and he whispered  
"Poor lad, at such a young age..."  
Benedict reminisced over the events after Kishi's tragic incident.  
He could remember that he was driving full speed down the Tokyo roads  
when he heard of the news. His eyes were full of tears, and in those  
tears were fear and memory. The butler had been in the family for  
over 30 years. Taking care of Kishi and his parents. Together, they  
were a family. When Benedict finally got to the crime scene, he could  
see the little boy wrapped in a blanket, sobbing as he sat in the back  
of an ambulance. He approached him and kneeled down to Kishi's eye  
level.  
"Master Kishi, I'm sorry" He apologized with a broken voice " If I was  
there...". The butler's eyes were now full of tears again. He wiped  
them away.  
" It was my duty to keep you guys safe, especially you" He said " But  
I failed you and your parents"  
Benedict grabbed Kishi's hands from behind the shock blanket and was  
surprised to see what was stained on it. Blood. The velvet color of  
it stunned Benedict. He looked straight in the child's eyes and can  
see darkness in it. His expressions were blank and his face was cold  
blue.  
"I'm sorry Master, I will protect you better from now on" The butler  
promised as he is crying in Kishi's hands.  
Snapping back into what he was doing. He put the onions in the stew  
that was on the hot oven, and turned on the tv. It was now 2 o clock  
"I wonder how Master Kishi is doing" He said to himself "The doctor  
said it was okay for him to play this game, but I have my doubts".  
Thinking back to his young master's gaming history, he let out a small  
chuckle  
"He should be fine"  
Aside from Kishi's extensive knowledge of different academic  
subjects and martial arts, he is an avid gamer. When his 5 years  
abroad did not take his mind off of the incident, he turned to online  
games. Especially RPG. During those periods, he never had a panic  
attack while playing. It only happens outside of the game.  
Benedict is now only waiting for his lamb stew to finish. He sat on  
a wooden chair in the kitchen, watching the news with his legs  
crossed. The news anchor was discussing today's massive Internet  
usage due to Sword Art Online. Everything was normal until a man with  
a headset, walked from behind the set and whispered something to the  
anchor. The news anchor widened her eyes and received the paper the  
man in the headset gave her. In an urgent voice she said  
"B-breaking news, According to our sources, the game Sword Art Online  
has 10,000 players in captivity"  
"Captivity?" Benedict asked in a curious voice. He looked at the  
ceiling. Above it was Kishi's room. As if the news anchor heard his  
question she replied  
"The game Sword Art Online was revealed that players cannot exit the  
game, the high output waves in the machine has the potential to fry a  
person's brain". She said  
"What?" Benedict yelled. Now on his feet  
"In short, the nerve gear cannot be forcibly removed and the player  
must play the game until they die or beat the game. Most importantly,  
if they die in the game, the machine will destroy their brains and  
kill them in real life". She explained. "It has been reported that  
over 500 players had died from either inside the game or had their  
machines forcibly removed"  
"No..." Benedict whispered in disbelief. He punched the table and  
shed a tear. The same tear that was shed when Kishi's parents died.  
It was filled with fear. The aging butler rushed to Kishi's room and  
found him in sweat. As a former field medic, Benedict could see that  
he is hyperventilating. He got closer to Kishi and pushed his head on  
his master's chest. It was beating twice as fast than its normal  
speed. There was nothing Benedict can do, he cannot comfort Kishi out  
of this panic attack. He quickly opened the closet and pulled out a  
shock blanket that was readily hung in there.  
Kishi now covered in a shock blanket, his body now returned to  
normal temperatures. Though his heart was still beating fast, it  
wasn't as bad as before. The butler sat near Kishi and put his hands  
on the child's cheeks.  
"I am so sorry Master Kishi" He apologized "I knew this game was too  
good to be true for you, if only I had disagreed to drive you to the  
game store". His tears dripped on Kishi's shirt as he laid his head on  
his chest.  
Back in SAO  
I suddenly felt a sense of shelter as I was on the ground crying.  
The same feeling I felt when I was in Benedict's arms. I can only  
imagine the grief he and and other parents are going through right  
now. What am I suppose to do now? Should I take my own life since  
there is no hope? Should I stay here in this town and do nothing?  
How can I survive in this game? My consciousness then reminded me of  
the players I killed before. I was now scrunched up in a fetal  
position in an ally in the Town of Beginnings, apologizing to those  
dead players. I thought if I took my own life, it would not be able  
to replace those 3 I killed today. What would my parents do? I  
looked up to the sky asking God, if there is one, why this has to  
happen? What is the purpose of this game? Like a phantom, I felt a  
presence behind. As I turned to look, it was a guy with crazy hair  
with a red bandana.  
"I know you..." I murmured  
"Hey man, it's me Klein!" He said in his usual friendly voice  
"What do you want?" I said as I put my face back into my knees.  
"Not a social guy aren't ya? Why are you moping around here for?"  
"Did you not get the memo? We are all going to die!" I screamed at  
him. Tears rolled down my cheeks.  
"Really? When did that happen" asked Klein  
I said nothing  
"All I heard was that we have to beat this game to get out. And that  
is good enough for me". Said the swordsman with crazy hair ". But I  
have a feeling this is not why you are so down. The first time I met  
you, you had a dark frown on your face. Right at that moment, I knew  
you were in despair, with no hope. No offense. So the thought of  
dying is not new to you. You are not afraid of death. What is going  
on?"  
"Don't act like you know me ok? I killed people." I snapped  
"what?" He asked as he stepped back  
"When I was 8, I stuck a knife in a man's throat. And 30 minutes ago,  
I killed 3 SAO players who tried to mug me! Do you know what it's  
like to take someone's life away? They could have had family,  
friends, wives, and children. I took it all away like I was playing  
God" I confessed in a broken voice. I felt dirty. Dirty of all the  
blood I spilt. "What is worse is that I enjoyed killing those  
players!"  
Klein looked down and I can only see the shadow of his eyes. He  
turned around and looked like he was going to walk away.  
"Look, whatever you committed, I know nothing will erase that from  
you" Klein said as I felt even worse "But I do know this, wallowing in  
your own pity will not make it better. Whoever died is gone now. You  
cannot bring them back to life or repay their life with your own.  
What you can do...is live for them". I looked at him in a shocked  
expression.  
"Live for the people that died and beat this fucking game". His voice  
escalated "So stop your whining, and do something with YOUR life!  
Have the courage to carry the burden you created!". Klein slowly  
walked away and was about to exit the ally  
"Hey Klein" I called to him  
"What?"  
"T-Thanks...for the reality check" Klein raised his hand without  
looking back and waved goodbye.  
Klein is right. I have to start living for the people that I  
murdered. Not just for the SAO players but for my mother and father.  
They would want me to live through this game and grow into a fine  
person. I want to see Benedict again and taste his lamb stew too.  
"From this point on, I will not lose to self pity and make use of  
myself. I will finally have a purpose in life!" I thought  
Now thinking clearly, the young swordsman in black is planning his  
next move. Most of the 8000 alive players are still in the Town of  
Beginnings, so the hunting fields should be gone by now. As a  
veteran mmorpg player, Kishi knows that resources are going to be  
fought over, so he decided to skip to the next town on his own. This  
is a dangerous task, because he does not know the terrain or roads  
leading to the next village. He will have to trust his guts.  
Currently, he has a total of 5,000 kol spend. If he uses it wisely,  
he should be able to afford a room in an inn and a dozen of hp  
potions. Kishi walks out the gates and into the hunting fields, he  
followed the paved dirt road, leading to the other town. On his way  
there he killed almost a dozen wolves and boars. As he got closer to  
the town, the road faded away, and he was left with nothing to follow.  
"I guess I will have to navigate my own way" He said to himself.  
In SAO, the world map is only used for navigation, nothing else. It  
can not tell if there are monsters and players around. Worst of all,  
Kishi does not even know where the village is. He got it from a  
rumour as he was walking in the markets. His only reference is that  
the town is "Northeast" of the Town of Beginnings. The swordsman in  
black then pulled out his map and checked the terrain.  
"The villages should be behind these mountains" he thought "Since it  
is the most northeastern part of this floor."  
By now it is night time, but Kishi cannot rest. It is too dangerous  
to sleep, due to mob monsters and PKers. Unless he finds an empty  
cave.


	3. Chapter 4: Fangs In The Cave

A/N: :D this chapter is a bit longer due to the descriptive content.

Fangs In The Caves:

I had been walking since afternoon. I am beginning to be fatigued,  
and my vision of the terrain is becoming darker. I have to find  
shelter. By now, I am halfway through the mountains, at least I hope.  
Due to my survival training is Tibet, I know the trick around  
mountains and locations of caves in them. Though..I have not found  
one yet. I am not even sure this game is that realistic. I checked  
all of my equipments and they are all at 70%. If I fight anymore  
monsters, my weapons and armors will surely break.  
Walking in the dark, all I can see are rocks and grass. Since Floor  
1 is a plains level, there are no trees around. Which is very  
fortunate for me. As my legs begin to give up on me, I can see in the  
distance, a light coming from a hole inside the mountain. A cave?  
The light must be coming from a torch, so I must be careful. I  
sheathed my curved blade and slowly approach the cave that was now 15  
yards away. As I got to the entrance, I pressed my back along the  
cave's mouth and peeked my head inside to see what was going on. A  
silhouette can be seen on the cave wall, and it seems that the person  
is not moving. Since there was only one person, I deemed it as safe  
to approach. I entered the cave and it is lit up by multiple torches  
surrounding the circle walls. From far back, I can see a wooden door  
and a person standing next to it. The person was fairly fat and has a  
short build. His red beard reached to his underbelly and his bald  
head reflected the light from the torches. He is wielding nothing but  
only donning a simple gray shirt and black pants.  
"Ah an adventurer!" yelled the person. Suddenly, my UI pops up and it  
showed my journal page. A quest.  
"I come from the village just pass these mountains" Said the npc  
"Then why are you here? It is dangerous at night" I replied  
"Yes, the thing is, my son have gone missing"  
"Missing?"  
"Yes, since yesterday night. I was told that he wandered off into the  
mountains, searching for iron."  
"Iron?"  
"You see, I am a blacksmith at my village, and I usually collect  
materials with my son. Being 16, he believed that he can do it  
himself now"  
I kept listening as I was amazed how fluid this conversation is.  
Though I don't know much about game engines, I can see that the npc is  
well programmed. Maybe it is because he is a quest npc. Merchants in  
the Town of Beginnings only have a set of sentences they can say,  
so if you say so something out of the ordinary, they will say "Excuse  
me?" or "Thank you come again". This quest npc though must be  
programmed with a more advanced speech engine. I was told that quests  
are randomly generated by a program and can pop up in random  
locations. This seems to be one.  
"So let me get this straight" I clarified " Your son has gone missing  
and you think he is in here? How can you be so sure?"  
"Behind this wooden door, is a passage that leads to a small mining  
area where I collect iron." The NPC replied. "So will you help me? If  
you are lost, I will see it so that you can get to the my village in a  
jiffy. I will also throw in about 3,000 Kol. I would have done it  
myself, but you see, my leg is bad and I am old". He lifted up his  
pants, and I can see that his legs are prosthetic. Made of iron and  
flexible wood.  
"Alright, I will get your son back" I replied  
"Oh thank you, but one more thing..." he said. His face turned grim.  
"It is an old legend, but at night, you can spot a white entity with  
red eyes roaming around. It is said that it has fangs as large as a  
great sword, and claws as sharp as a rapier. Also in one of the  
tunnels lie an altar that belonged to a religious group many centuries  
ago. It is said that it contains a sword that cuts even the air  
itself. Though I have not ventured that far into the mine, I believe  
my son might have wandered that far."  
"Well that is good to hear" I said as I scratched the back of my head,  
sweating. I have no fear of whatever is ahead, but I must stay alive  
to beat this game. The npc moved aside and I can see the wooden door.  
Cracked and with a rusty bronze knob, I could see that it has been  
here for quiet some time.  
"Wait, before you go, take this pill" Said the npc  
"What is it?"  
"My wife is the local doctor, so she has pills that can cure fatigue,  
and restore your health". I took it out his hands and pop it in my  
mouth. I chewed it and surprisingly, it tasted sweet like a  
strawberry lollipop. My vision suddenly brightened, and my weariness  
was replaced by energy. My knees no longer felt weak so I can walk  
straight now. I nodded at the npc and opened the door. It reveals a  
narrow passageway, lighted up by some torches. It is a about 4 yards  
wide, so it is pretty narrow. I walked down and stopped at a room  
with 3 openings. One in the middle, left, and right. Along the walls  
of the room are iron deposits and leaning against them are shovels and  
pickaxe. This is where he mines his iron.  
"Tch, which one should I use" I thought. Thinking back to my days  
with the forensics team in Scotland Yard, I immediately analyzed the  
area; searching for basic clues of the blacksmith's son whereabouts.  
First I kneeled on one knee and searched for footprints or  
disturbances in the dirt and walls. As I look to my left, I can see a  
smear on the dirt ground. I approached it and realized it was a round  
imprint with some small disturbances around.  
"Could it be that someone was sitting here?" I whispered.  
One of the smaller smears left a trail longer than others and lead to  
the left opening. This must be the blacksmith's son, but why are  
there long drag marks? Could it be that he injured himself? Maybe his  
legs? I can only know for certain if I follow the trail. As the  
trail leads in the cave opening, I can see small blots on the ground.  
It is dyed red. Blood. The deeper it goes, the darker it gets. I  
don't have night vision or the tracking skill yet, so I just have to  
rely on my instincts. A nauseating stench suddenly hit me, like a  
smack in the face. I immediately covered my nose, and endured. The  
closer I get, the stench gets worse. Just when it felt like the path  
lead nowhere, I can see a faint blue light in the distance. Once I  
got to the end of the winding tunnel, I can see a large room with an  
altar at the end of the room. On the top was a large ceiling with a  
large circular hole in it. Finally, in the distance I see a figure  
similar to mine. It is standing with its back facing me. It must be  
his son!  
"Hey, are you the blacksmith's son?" I asked. The figure turned around.  
"G-Go away..." He replied  
"What? I came here to get you out of here, come on!" I said in a rushed tone.  
"No, you don't understand..." He pointed at the ceiling, directly  
where the hole was.  
"Un..derstand?". I looked up and can only see the night sky. Wait.  
The sky was suddenly replaced by a large, full moon. I looked back at  
the person I was suppose to rescue and his eyes turned a dark red.  
"You see..." His voice suddenly deepened and became husky " It is not  
I that needs saving" He grew 3x his size and his clothes ripped.  
White fur sprouted from his body like weeds on steroid. Fangs and  
claws lengthened to a large degree. "It is you that need saving!"  
Finally his mouth transformed into a snout  
After his transformation, he let out a loud howl. 3 health bars and  
his name appeared next to him. "White Fang"  
"No, a boss in a non dungeon field?" I said "Was this quest a trap?  
Before I could react, he already kicked off the ground and rushed at  
me on all four. His movement is fast, but reckless. I sheathed my  
sword and ran to my left. The room is lit up by the moonlight and  
contains no items I can use to better my chances of beating him. A  
monster this powerful is impossible to defeat! I took a look around  
and something snapped into me. I saw the wall surrounding us and  
thought "That's it". I used my left foot to stop my sprint and slid.  
As soon as I stopped, the white werewolf like monster changed its  
course and head my way. I stood still...waiting. Its red eyes are  
full of killing intent, and its fangs shine in the moonlight like a  
sharp blade. It opened its mouth and leaped. There was nothing to  
help me. There is only the wall behind me and the monster in front of  
me. And this is exactly how I want it to be! I pushed off the ground  
with full force, and leapt to the further left. The werewolf's fangs  
nearly got me, but it only scratched the side of my face. Even so, my  
hp bar dropped a small chunk, but still in the green area. Then its  
face smashed into the wall that was behind me. He fell to the ground  
and was stunned  
"Now is my chance!" I whispered. I took my sword and held it  
back(Both hand on right hip while holding sword. The tip is pointing  
at the monster). The blade glowed a light red. I am now 5 yards away.  
I quickly dashed and rammed my blade into it's abdomen. It let out a  
painful howl.  
"Im not done yet!" I announced. My blade stopped glowing. Like  
cutting meat, I unleashed a flurry of slashes on his torso as he was  
still lying down, stunned from the head trauma and the stab. His hp  
bars dropped from 3 to 2 bars. I'm almost there!  
Just when I thought that, the werewolf grabbed my sword,  
interrupting my flurry. It lifted me up using my sword, like I was a  
stick, and threw me across the room. My body hit the ground and kept  
sliding and rolling. My head was dizzy, but when I recovered, I  
noticed my health bar. It was half gone. Now in the yellow zone, I  
have to be more careful. The werewolf wasted no time and was now  
charging full speed at me. I ran close a wall and hoped to do the  
same tactic I did earlier. Suddenly, when I reached the closest wall,  
the werewolf stopped and glared at me. It gave off a small smirk that  
suggested it saying "that is not going to work again"  
"Tch, how bothersome" I scoffed. Figuring that the same strategy  
won't work twice, I stepped away from the wall. If I stayed close to  
the wall then the werewolf won't make a move, but at the same time, it  
would be a stalemate. And time is what I don't have. I must get to  
the next town. Once it saw me move away, it charged again. I too  
charged at it. Its height on all fours were 5 feet. Which  
is...perfect. I smiled a bit, knowing that my fight doesn't end here.  
When it was a yard from me, I then used my momentum from charging and  
did a slide. With my back on the floor, I gripped my sheathed sword.  
I went right in between its 4 legs and under its belly. My sword  
glowed red again, and I slashed it, from left to right. It let out a  
whimper and fell to the ground. Due to its fast charge, the momentum  
forced it to slide and hit the wall far in the back. Its 2nd health  
bar dropped to 75 percent from my sword skill, then to 65 percent from  
the head trauma. My stamina is dwindling but I have to keep going. I  
then charged up my sword, causing it to glow red again. I assumed the  
battoujutsu stance and went at it. I slashed it, stretching from the  
hind legs to its neck. Then I did what I did before and unleashed a  
flurry of slashes before it got up. Knowing that my offensive time  
was up, I jumped 15 yards back. I drained both of its first two hp  
bar without getting hurt much, but I have a feeling my fight starts  
here. It let out a horrendous growl and frowned. The werewolf stood  
on its 2 hind legs and howled. Its claws and fangs glowed a bright  
blue. It swung both its arms in a horizontal slash and suddenly, 3  
blue streaks came at me at an amazing speed. I had no time to dodge,  
but I tried my best to get away. I tried kicking off the ground and  
jump to the right but I was too late. My torso was out of the way but  
my legs were caught. The 3 streaks hit my legs and caused me to spin  
out of control. I hit the wall and my vision became blurry. I  
focused my sight on my health bar and noticed that I am in the red  
zone. About 20 percent was left of my hp. Lying on the ground, I  
used my arms to push myself up but to no avail. I then got up using  
both my arms and legs, but I cant stand. The shock of the blow left  
my body stunned. On my knees, I look up and saw the beast. Its fangs  
still glowing. It looks like it is stunned from the last range attack  
it did. Maybe there is a cool down. Then 10 seconds pass, and the  
werewolf got into a stance(right leg back, left leg front, its head is  
leaning forward)  
"Is he going to use his fangs next as a range attack?" I asked myself  
frantically. I can't move out of the way. What should I do? I can't  
die here! The werewolf opened his snout and howled. The imprints of  
its fangs then turned blue and rushed at me. It is using its fangs  
and claws as a range attack. Can swords do that also? No, get your  
head back in the game Kishi. The attack is an oval blue light with  
imprints of fangs around it. In the center of it I can see the  
werewolf. This attack resembles its mouth. There are fangs around  
its mouth, but there is an empty space in the center. I get it now.  
The fangs came at me and I had no time to stand up. Once it was 2  
yards away, I used both my hands and knees to leap right into the  
attack. I then entered the center of the attack, almost touching it's  
fangs. Once I was through, my body was out of its shock and was  
functioning again. I stood up and took my chance to attack.  
According to the last attack, the stun time on it after using a skill  
was 10 seconds. The blue fang attack then smashed into the wall that  
was far behind me. I gripped my sword hard one last time and it  
glowed a brilliant and bright red. I only have enough stamina to use  
this last skill. I ran full speed and yelled  
"Haaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah"  
Once I got close to it, I stopped running and let my feet slide on the  
dirt ground. My sword was at my hip and when I was next to it, I  
jumped. I slashed its eyes with all my might and it screamed. Its  
health bar dropped to 75 percent. My sword stopped glowing but I was  
still in the air. I used this chance to, for the third time, unleash  
a flurry of slashes at its head. Its health bar then dropped to 60  
percent. I landed on the ground and without question, I attacked once  
again.  
"Not yet! I'm not done!" I screamed. The werewolf was now covering  
its eyes screaming. Its arms flailing, trying to hit me. I  
approached its legs and cut its ankles at the tendons. Its last hp  
bar dropped to 45 percent. The werewolf was stumbling, but it's not  
enough to make it fall over. I jumped in between its leg, where its  
knees are. And in one spin, I slice both its knees. It fell to the  
ground like a mighty oak. Its hp then dropped to 20 percent.  
"I'm going to finish this". I said. I let out a sadistic smile(Kishi  
is not aware of his smile). Suddenly, I hear a crack. I lifted up my  
sword and saw that it is breaking. No, please, not yet. The curved  
blade then let out a final *snap* as its cracks obliterated it into  
pieces. The blade turned into small glass like squares and flew away.  
The hilt did the same. The werewolf saw what happened and smiled,  
showing its horrible fangs. I quickly moved back about 15 yards  
before it got back up. Its demonic smile seemed to suggest that it is  
saying "I'm not done either". Furiously, it got on all fours and  
dashed. Its speed is slower due to the extensive injuries I dealt,  
but it was fast enough to kill me in one tackle or even flick.  
"So this is where it ends." I whispered.  
I looked up at the sky as I thought of how miserable Benedict is  
gonna be when he finds out I died. My thoughts flashed back to when  
Benedict used to play video games with me when there was no one. I  
remembered he played numerous RPGs with me so that I won't feel  
lonely. He was horrendous at playing, but I felt relieved to have  
someone by my side. The werewolf is almost close to me and I accepted  
my fate. I guess this is it. Maybe nos that I am going to die, I can  
finally repay what I owed to those 3 players I killed. I had a  
picture of Benedict and my parents imprinted into my mind as I waited  
for the inevitable. Suddenly, my image of my family was distorted. A  
face formed in my mind. It was a man with messy, crazy hair, and had  
a red bandana. Klein? The image of Klein then begun to move his  
mouth.  
"Live" he said "Live for those who died"  
I suddenly snapped back into reality. Klein is right. I can't die  
here. My mom and dad would have died in vain trying to protect me. I  
also must go back to the real world and apologize to the family of the  
rogue players. I must at least apologize for their deaths! Energy  
flowed through me and I kicked from the ground, leaving a cloud of  
dust. I have no sword, but I can use my fist! I raised my arms and  
my fist turned into white glow. I met the werewolf halfway and swung  
my fist as it came at me with its claws. It was close but I ducked my  
head, and the claws only cut off a strand of my hair. Taking this  
chance, I dug my fist into the beast's face and broke off its fangs.  
Its hp is now at 5 percent. It flew back 10 yards and fell to the  
ground again.  
"No sword, no problem" I said. I don't know where that fist skill  
came from, but I am sure that I cant pull it off again. My stamina is  
basically zero. I slowly approached the werewolf and grabbed the  
broken fang. I kneeled on its chest and raised up the fang.  
Remembering that it was a human, I wanted to finish it quick. I dug  
the fang deep in its chest and its body turned into small glass like  
polygons. It disappeared but left behind its host body. The  
blacksmith's son. I lay down for 5 minutes and kept repeating  
"the fight is over"  
I picked the kid up and silently walked to the tunnel to get out. I  
suddenly felt a strange feeling that I missed something. Turning  
around, I noticed the altar standing in the back of the room. I laid  
the blacksmith's son down again and ran toward the altar. It was too  
far to see the content on the altar but when I got near, I can see  
that it was a sword. Once I got there, I picked it up and opened the  
UI to check the info. Mist Cutter was its name.  
"Wait what?" I whispered. The slight curve, the long blade, the  
decorated handle. Could this be? A katana? I immediately tried to  
equip it but when I do, the interface shows up as "Skill not  
appropriate". I have to investigate this when I get to town. I put  
it in my inventory and rushed back to the unconscious kid. After 20  
minutes of walking through the winding tunnel, I got back to the door.  
It is now 3 am in this world. I opened the door and saw the  
blacksmith sitting and leaning on the wall to my right.  
"Oh my goodness, you got my son!" he yelled and ran to me  
"Yea, turned out that entity you talked about was a raging werewolf" I  
said. He looked up at me in sweat. " Which happens to be your son".  
"I knew it. When I heard the howls inside the passageways, I assumed  
that it was my son. Knowing him, he would get out of town before he  
hurt anybody. I'm sorry I did not know"  
Even though I almost died, I deemed that it is pointless to yell at an npc.  
"It is alright" I replied. I set the kid down as he was beginning to  
regain consciousness. "He should be fine, I slew the werewolf that  
possessed him"  
"Thank goodness" The fat blacksmith then smiled." As I promise, here  
is your money. It is more than I promised but please keep it". My UI  
then showed a window that displayed how much I got when I slew the  
beast and as a result of finishing the quest. The number was  
staggering. I gulped.  
"I received a total of 100,000 Kols from killing the werewolf and from  
the quest" I whispered.  
"Oh here" The blacksmith said as he handed over a rectangular crystal.  
"It is a teleport crystal. Use it and get back to my town. Find an  
inn and rest. I appreciate your help. By the way, say teleport when  
you want to leave"  
I received the crystal and looked at the kid. The kid nodded at me  
and so did his dad. Both were smiling bright and I thought to myself.  
"Just one step closer." I then raised my crystal and said  
"Teleport!"


	4. Chapter 2: Link Start

Link Start:

Finally, today is the day. As I look at my computer screen, I see  
many people screaming and hollering on the MMO news stream. The lady  
next to the rowdy crowd, wearing a red silk dress, slowly lifted her  
mic and said  
"Today is the day folks! It is November 6, 2022, and it is not any  
ordinary day-" A man entered the camera screen and interrupts the lady  
"Of course it is not! It is the official launch day of Sword Art  
Online!". A cheer suddenly broke out again, and I can see the excited  
crowd. The lady shook off her embarrassment and continued  
"That is right! Next to me are the-"  
I exited the screen and looked at the digital clock hanging above my desk.  
"12:58 pm" I murmured. " it is almost time"  
I turned around in my computer chair and looked at my bed. There I  
can see my neatly tucked blanket and clean pillow. On top of the  
pillow lie my key to another world. A world where I can be free of  
this harsh reality, and not be reminded of the tragedy that happened  
to me years ago. The nervegear will take me away. I lay on my bed  
and slipped the helmet on. It is exactly 12:59. My heart was  
pounding as I was about to enter the world of Sword Art Online.  
Benedict knew what I was going to do today, so he promised not to  
disturb me until 3 when I finish playing. I saw the clock hit 1  
exactly in the screen of my nervegear, and smirked. The interface was  
already on standby and only needed my consent to enter.  
"Link Start!" I said enthusiastically, as the vision of my ceiling and  
fan turned into a white background with rainbow rays flying past me.  
Blue circles that confirmed my status and identity soon lined up on  
the right. The interface then told me to enter my login and password,  
which I did with ease. Finally, a white screen clouded my vision, but  
when I blinked again, a blue light surrounded me. As the light slowly  
fade, a game interface was in front of me. It was not connected to  
any machinery, but it was rather an augmented reality interface. It  
was the character create screen. I quickly flipped through the  
options and picked what I thought was decent. After all, appearance  
in games doesn't really matter much. I then pressed on the option  
"done" and confirmed my appearance. I had brown hair that curved to  
one side. My eyes were black but my physical shape was about the same  
as in real life. Once I pressed "done" another blue light enveloped  
me and when it faded I was teleported to a magnificent scene.  
I looked around and I was standing in the middle of a circular plaza  
filled with players donning all types of weapons, npc's welcoming the  
players, and shops occupied with your typical equipment needs. Behind  
me was a huge pedestal that stood at the center of the area. Along  
the walls of the plaza were exits and pathways that lead out of the  
plaza. The buildings had a sand color and were not too tall. I then  
examined the players around and I must say, the diversity in weapons  
are phenomenal. I saw one guy with a curved blade like mine, and  
another holding a spear and shield. Aside from the amazing realism of  
this game, the amount of skills and weaponry is second on my "wow"  
list.  
Currently, I am wearing an armor pad that is given to each beginner  
and a weapon of my choice, which is a curved blade. It resembles  
somewhat of a katana. The sleekness, the sharp edge, and  
maneuverability of it appealed to me. After all, my mother's side of  
the family had a long tree line of samurais and warriors back in the  
feudal era. Anyway, I always try to be the agility type in games so I  
picked leather gauntlets, gloves, and boots for my other equipments.  
So that it won't hinder my movements.  
As I walk along the streets of the Town of Beginnings, I notice that  
everybody is in town and no one is out in the field to hunt. That is  
when it hits me. There are 10,000 players in this game, and the  
fields are bound to be occupied soon. So I must get a head start  
before hunting parties hog all of the good hunting spots. Snapping  
out of my day dreams, I kicked the ground and started sprinting toward  
the boar fields. Passing through merchants and players, I bumped into  
a few by accident  
"Sorry." I murmured as I bumped by them.  
Finally when I was there, I was relieved that the field is filled  
with wild boars. I took a moment and looked at the beautiful scenery.  
The sky was bright orange as the day hits dawn, and the river  
reflecting the light seemed to glitter brilliantly. I looked around  
and spotted a boar near me. I gave a slight smirk and approached it  
silently.  
"I wonder if there is a sneak system here?" I asked myself. Of course  
as many gamers know, the sneak system works when a player or monster  
sneaks on a target from behind without being notice. And when it  
strikes, the damage is doubled when the target is hit. This play  
style is a good fit for me. Better than charging in head first. All  
of the mmos I played in the past had always been a rogue or a  
swordsman. Anyway, I crouched and slowly approached the boar who was  
munching on some grass. I walked stealthily as my left side is facing  
the boar. Master Hayato, my training master in real life, taught me  
that the correct form of sneaking is to turn your body slightly and  
crouch. Walk with only the sides of your feet and make no sound.  
Coming from a privileged family, I was interested in many types of  
studies and martial arts. So, after the...tragic...incident, I  
traveled the world for 5 years and learned all types of things. I  
happened to cross by Master Hayato in the mountains as a result of  
wanting to learn survival techniques. He taught me how to survive in  
harsh conditions, and most importantly, the art of ninjutsu. Of  
course I am not a master, but decent enough to get my way around a  
boar. I slowly draw my sword from the sheathe when I was 4 yards away  
from the boar. I assumed the battoujutsu position. My right side  
facing the boar, my knees bent, and my hands on the handle.  
"you must be patient and find an opening" I can remember my Uncle  
saying. My uncle was one of the few in my mother's side that kept the  
ways of the samurai, so when I went on hiatus for 5 years, I came to  
him and asked him to train me.  
The boar right now was looking up at the sky, which was not an ideal  
position to sneak up on. I need to wait until he feeds again. My  
hands gripped the sword handle tightly as I became impatient. Sweat  
started dripping from my head and trickled down my black clothes.  
When the boar lowered his head, I bent lower and kicked off the  
ground. Grass were ripped from the ground by the massive force. The  
boar was now readying to bite off the blades of grass. When he did so  
I was still mid air, pulling out my sword. As my blade was pulled out  
of the scabbard, a red light emanated from it. It let out a slight  
"weeou". I immediately struck the boar in a horizontal slash,  
stretching from it hind legs to its cheek. I am now 1 yard in front  
of the boar, in a position that resembles those samurai dueling  
poses(right arm holding sword up and in the back, while left leg is  
bent and right leg is stretched in the back.). The boar let out a  
squeal and fell to the ground. It seemed sneaking bonuses really are  
available in this game. A window popped up and showed the amount of  
experience I get in my overall skills and the amount of kol I get. I  
sheathed back my sword and walked north to where there are more boars  
and even wolves.  
(3rd person)  
As the swordsman donning black armor and a curve blade finish  
killing his 20th boar, an entity came out of a bush just 10 meters  
away. It slowly approached him and kicked from the ground. As it was  
ready to strike Kishi, he immediately turned around and slashed at it.  
As the sword slowly cut from the entity's shoulder to left ear, it is  
revealed that the entity was a player.  
"Argh!" screamed the attacker. He fell to the ground, held his face  
and looked back up at Kishi as he sheathed back his curved blade.  
"Tell me, why did you attack me?" Kishi asked as he looked down upon  
the player in a menacing glare. The attacker widened his pupils, and  
noticed that the swordsman donning black is one that should not be  
played around with. Trying to save face he snickered  
"Hehehe...a noob like you caught me...not bad"  
"I can see things most people don't" The swordsman replied. As if his  
gut was screaming at him to notice that the attacker is not a new  
comer, Kishi murmured "beta tester"  
*clap clap clap*  
Kishi turned around to see 3 armed players behind him. One with a  
plump build, red long hair, and donning a two handed axe. One with a  
body of a stick, blue spiky hair, and wielding what looked like a  
rapier. Finally, the one that was clapping was tall and lean, donning  
a two handed longsword. His dark brown hair covered one of his eyes,  
while the other eye looked like it came from a rabid animal. It  
looked like he was the leader. He stopped clapping and smirked.  
"This noobie is not as bad as he seems" said the leader in an arrogant  
voice " no one has caught our friend Meister here in the act"  
His heart pounded. Kishi once again grabbed the handle of his blade  
and got in a battoujutsu stance. He gritted his teeth and stared at  
the leader with an intent to kill.  
" Woah watch out now, this puppy has got teeth" said the player wih a  
plump build. They seem to notice my actions and drew their weapons as  
a response.  
"Now, before we completely obliterate you and take your items, you are  
now in our debt" the leader explained "From now on, you have to pay us  
10,000 Kol per week or else we will take it from you, and your  
experience"  
They all snickered. The bullied swordsman gave off the most demonic  
smile at the leader. This experience has taken him back to when he  
was 8; in the dark ally with his parents. It was after Kishi's  
birthday dinner, and they were walking together to their car.  
Benedict had the day off so Kishi's father, Kurono Ryoichi, had to  
take up the wheel. As they approach the end of the allie, a dark  
entity appeared, wielding a sharp knife. His eyes was full of  
desperation and envy. Demanding for all their belongings, Kishi's  
father heroically refused. The figure dashed toward his father and  
stabbed him through the abdomen. Soon his mother stood in front of  
Kishi and said  
"Don't take my son". The mugger smiled, showing his hideous teeth and  
evil red eyes. He rushed toward Kishi's mother, Yuuki, and slashed  
her neck. The killer went into a frenzy and repeatedly stabbed both  
of the now dead philanthropists. Kishi was crying, and the attacker  
slowly turned his neck and targeted Kishi. He slowly lifted up his  
knife dripping in blood. Kishi saw it and stopped crying; something  
snapped. As the killer approached him, he stealthily knocked his leg  
over. As the killer fell and dropped his knife, Kishi picked it up  
and shoved it in his neck. Like instinct, he dragged the knife across  
the attacker's throat; instantly killing him. These memories rushed  
through Kishi as his conscience is now back at the situation at hand.  
Him surrounded in a circle by 4 rogue SAO players.  
The 4 muggers then pushed from the ground and pulled their weapons  
above their heads. As all of their massive weapons fell down on the  
swordsman, like lightning, he dashed in between the fat and skinny  
mugger. He pulled out his sword, which now glows an even brighter  
red. As soon as the attackers struck the empty ground, their weapons  
were stuck in the dirt. Giving them a big opening. Kishi then gave  
off another murderous look and entered the circle again. Slashing all  
of their necks carefully, he exited the circle and sheathed his blade.  
They all fell and their bodies broke off into tiny glass like  
materials and disappeared.  
"phew". Kishi sighed. He looked at the interface window to see what  
he received as a result and exited it.  
Suddenly, Kishi felt a heavy force come down on his shoulder and  
fell to the ground. His health bar slowly drop into the red zone and  
when he looked up, it was the rogue leader of the group.  
"shit" he whispered  
"It is always smart to bring a healing crystal on you" The leader  
said. Laughing maniacally, he pulled his sword back up and brought it  
upon the downed swordsman.  
"Something doesn't feel right" Kishi thought "Why is my cursor red?  
The rogue leader is red also"  
The blade of the rogue leader's sword shined in the afternoon light  
and approached Kishi's head. When it finally got to the tip of his  
hair, a blue light appeared. It covered both of the players, and both  
of them vanished from thin air.  
They were both transported to the town of beginnings. The rogue  
leader stumbled as his sword finally fell, striking thin air. Kishi  
was 10 meters away from him looking around to see what was going on  
"What is this?" said a female player  
"Is this a forced teleport?" yelled out some player  
Suddenly, warning panels appeared in the sky and blood dripped down,  
forming a figure in red robe. The explanation of this death game has  
begun.

A/N: Please leave any critiques, compliments, and etc. I would appreciate it! I want to improve my writing so I can bring you more awesome adventures. Suggestions on the plot is welcomed too :)


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